p.2
A crowd is not just a bunch of individuals next to each other. An organized or psychological crowd is a single entity with a unified mind.

Isolated individuals may in some cases form an organized crowd, for example, during a violent emotional national event.

p.4
Crowds possess some characteristics of the individuals involved, and others that are unique to crowds. This is like chemical reactions forming new bodies with different properties than the reactants. Unconscious qualities (racial qualities) take the upper hand. New behaviors arise from a sense of invincibility in numbers (leading to less restraint), and from contagion. Every act of a crowd is contagious.

Individual behavior is sacrificed to that of the crowd, as if it were a hypnotic force, unleashing the unconscious. Man descends several rungs of civilization when in a crowd, and becomes a primitive being.

p.9
“A crowd is often criminal, but also it is often heroic.”
Although individual is undoubtedly less intelligent when in crowd, a crowd’s actions may be good.

p.13
Crowds are irritable and impulsive.

p.22
Crowds are “only impressed by excessive sentiments”.

p.35
crowds have strong imaginations and conflate reality and fantasy. “Appearances have always played a much more important part in history than reality.” Theatrical representations and clear imagery work best on crowds.

p.38
Crowds demand religious sentiment.
worship of a superior being
fear of that being’s power
blind submissionto its commands
inability to discuss its dogmas
the desire to spread them
tendency to consider as enemies outsiders who don’t accept beliefs.

p.61
images evoke strong reactions in crowds.
words are effective by the images they evoke, independent of their meaning. Vagueness often gives words and images their power.

p.100
The Classification and Description of the Different Kinds of Crowds

A multitude of individuals of different races is the most inferior kind of crowd. These are usually bound by the will of a chief.

Next up is a multitude of individuals of a single race.

Each of these multitudes can be formed into organized crowds: the heterogenous and homogenous crowds.

Heterogenous crowds can be either anonymous or not anonymous.
Anonymous heterogenous crowds have no sense of responsibility.
Not anonymous crowds have some sense of responsibility and personal culpability.

Homogenous crowds consist of sects, castes, or classes.
Sects include religious or political crowds, which are linked by acommon belief.
Castes include military or priestly crowds. These are linked by the same education and status.
Classes are people of diverse origin, linked by interests or habits and education.